Mechanic&#39;s hammer



July 3, 1962 P. R. EKSTROM 3,042,092

MECHANIC S HAMMER Filed June 8, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTO'R. DA UL R. E K5TI2OM BYZVQW ATTORNEY July 3, 1962 P. R. EKSTROM 3,042,092

MECHANIC'S HAMMER Filed June 8, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. PAUL I2. EKST/ZOM United States atent 3,042,692 MECHANICS HAMMER Paul R. Ekstrom, 1826 Clinton Ave., Alameda, Calif. Filed June 8, 1959, Ser. No. 818,807 2 Ciaims. (Cl. 14536) The present invention relates to improvements in a mechanics hammer, and more particularly to the class of hammers having a head made of lead, babbit, soft copper, rubber, plastic, leather or other relatively soft, deformable material.

Hammers of this type are commonly used around machinery to avoid damaging the machine parts. By their nature, such hammers soon have their heads knocked off and pounded out of shape, calling for frequent replacement.

The most commonly used material for such hammers is lead. When the hammer becomes unusable because of deformation of the head, the lead is usually melted and recast on the spot, This process is time-consuming, dangerous, and requires a considerable amount of equipment such as burners, ladles, molds and the like.

The present invention contemplates a mechanics hammer in which the head is demountable and which may be quickly replaced as needed. It is envisioned that the user would retain a spare head or two and would replace it on the handle as needed, the deformed heads being kept for pickup and re-casting by a person specializing in such a business.

The hammer construction of the present invention is equally adaptable for use with heads of any material which would require replacement, and takes advantage of the deformable nature of such materials to provide a firmer connection between the handle and the head of the hammer.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a mechanics hammer in which the hammer head may be easily and quickly removed and replaced without having to heat the hammer, melt out the deformed lead, and recast the hammer head.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a mechanics hammer in which the means for demountably attaching the head to the handle takes advantage of, and cooperates with, the deformable nature of the hammer head to provide increased strength and resistance to loosening in the union between the hammer head and handle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mechanics hammer of the character described in which the attaching means reinforces and strengthens the portion of the handle adjacent to the head so as to prevent accidental breaking or bending of the handle should the hammer head miss the object being hammered.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a mechanics hammer of the character described which is sturdy and well-balanced and in which the hammer head cannot become accidentally separated from the handle while hammering.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent as the specification progresses, and the new and useful features of my mechanics hammer will be fully defined in the claims hereto appended.

The preferred form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a perspective view of a mechanics hammer constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2, an exploded perspective view of the ham mer of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3, a longitudinal sectional view taken through the center of the hammer at the axis of the handle;

FIGURE 4, a vertical section through the head;

FIGURE 5, a plan view of a casting apparatus employed to form part of the mechanics hammer of the present invention; and

FIGURE 6, a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 66 of FIGURE 5.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, it should be understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope: of the claims attached hereto, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the mechanics hammer of the present invention consists basically of a hammer head 11, of a deformable material, an elongated handle 12 and means 13 on one end of the handle for demountably clamping the same to the hammer head.

The hammer head may be formed of any suitable material, such as babbit, soft copper, leather, rubber, plastic or the like, but its most usual form is molded of lead.

As may best be seen from FIGURE 2 of the drawings, the hammer head 11 has two frusto-conical tapered end sections 14 and 16 joined by a cylindrical section 17 of reduced diameter to provide a peripheral groove bounded by shoulders 13 and 19. A tapered opening 21 is formed diametrically through the center of section 17.

The handle 12. is preferably formed of metal and may consist of a tube having a knurled surface 22 to afford a secure grip.

The demountable clamping means 13 includes a split ring, consisting of semi-circular halves 23 and 24, which is proportioned to fit snugly in the peripheral groove around the section 17. To the ring segment 23 is secured, as by weld 26, a pin 27 which projects diametrically therefrom so as to pass through the opening 21 when the ring is installed on the hammer head.

The distal end 28 of pin 27 is threaded for engagement in mating threads 29 formed in one end of the handle 12. The ring segment 24 is provided with a boss 31 which extends outwardly therefrom, a passage 32 being formed through the ring and boss to accommodate pin 27. A washer 33 is preferably mounted on the pin 27 between the end of the boss 31 and the confronting end of handle 12.

As will be apparent from a study of FIGURES l and 2, rotation of handle 12 will tend to draw the pin 27 toward it, clamping the segment 24 and boss 31 between the segment 23 and the end of the handle. A reverse rotation of the handle with respect to the ring will allow disassembly of the parts.

The clamping effect of the split ring is greatly enhanced by forming the pin 27 with the same taper as the opening 2 1, so that, as the clamping force is exerted, the taper of the pin will tend to expand the section 17 and force it into firmer engagement with the surrounding ring segments 23 and 24.

Thus, the deformable nature of the hammer head is used to obtain a more secure grip on the head in order to supplement the retaining action of the shoulders 18 and 19, and of the pin 27.

It has been found that, while the confronting ends of the ring segments 23 and 24 may be parallel to the axis of the ring, a more secure attachment may be had by forming interengaging tabs and slots 34 and 36 on the confronting ends. A self-aligning action may be obtained by forming the ends in the manner shown in FIGURE 3 wherein one of the ends is formed with a swage groove 37 and the confronting end is of complementary configuration.

It should be noted that the boss 31 fits fairly snugly on the pin 27 and has a rather thick wall section. If the hammer head misses the work, the area adjacent to the head will often strike it, many times bending or breaking the hammer. The boss 31, reinforced by pin U 27, does away with such breakage. Also the ends 14 and 16 may lie flush with ring segments 23 and 24 to protect them, see FIGURE 4.

FIGURES and 6 illustrate the apparatus in which the hammer head 11 is cast. As here shown, finned mold sections 41 and 42 are designed to part on a vertical plane and two complementary half-funnels 43 and 44 are formed in the upper ends of the sections into which the molten lead is poured.

The mold section 42 may be mounted on the work bench (not shown) by screws 46 engaged through feet 47. The other mold section 41 is mounted for sliding movement upon a pair of guides 48 and 49 which are supported in bosses 51 and 52 formed in a bracket 53 and the mold section 42, respectively. The bracket 53 may also be secured to the work bench by screws 46.

Means 54 is provided for urging the mold sections 41 and 42 together to receive the molten lead. This means consists of a handle 56 secured to the mold section 41 and extending therefrom in parallel alignment with the guides 48 and 49. Notches 57 are formed in the handle for engagement by a spring member 58 mounted on bracket 53 and designed to prevent the handle and attached mold section from moving away from the fixed mold section.

Preferably, and as shown, a compression spring 59 is interposed between handle 56 and mold section 41, this spring acting to prevent explosion and spattering of the molten lead should any moisture be present in the mold cavity 61.

The mold'cavity 61 has the same shape as the hammer head 12, and a tapered core member 62 is threadedly attached to mold section 41 to form the opening 21 through the hammer head.

An ejecting device may be provided for aiding in parting the mold. This consists of a pair of pins 63 and 64 mounted in parallel axial alignment with guides 48 and 49 upon a spider 66 which is slidable on such guides. The pins 63 and 64 are journaled through bores 67 and 68 in mold sec-tion 41.

As the mold sections are parted, by pulling on the handle 56, the spider 66 will travel with section 41 until coil springs 69 and 71 mounted on guides 48 and 49 between section 41 and bracket 53 are fully compressed. The spider 66' will then come to a stop and, as the section 41 is pulled further back, the pins 63 and 64 will enter section 41 and dislodge the cast hammer head, for removal from the mold, see FIGURE 5.

I claim:

1. A mechanics hammer, comprising a hammer head of deformable material having an annular groove formed around its central portion and an opening passing diametrically through the hammer head at said groove, an elongated handle, a split ring proportioned to engage snugly in said groove and having two semi-circular halves, a pin having a threaded distal end secured to the inner side of one of said halves and projecting diametrically therefrom by a distance exceeding the outside di ameter of said split ring, said pin being proportioned for close-fitting engagement through said opening in the hammer head, the other of said halves being formed with an opening through which the threaded distal end of said pin passes, said handle having a threaded axial bore proportioned for interengagement with said threaded distal end of said pin whereby rotation of said handle relative to the hammer head will press the end of the handle against the second named half of said ring to urge the ring halves together in clamping relation on the hammer head, the confronting ends of said halves .of said split ring being formed with interlocking tongues and grooves adapted to prevent relative rotation between said halves when the hammer strikes a glancing blow.

2. A mechanics hammer, comprising a hammer head of deformable material having an annular groove formed around its central portion and an opening passing dia-' metrically through the hammer head at said groove, an elongated handle, a split ring proportioned to engage snugly in said groove and having two semi-circular halves, a pin having a threaded distal end secured to the inner side of one of said halves and projecting diametrically therefrom by a distance exceeding the outside diameter of said split ring, said pin being proportioned for close-fitting engagement through said opening in the hammer head, the other of said halves being formed with an opening through which the threaded distal end of said pin passes, said handle having a threaded axial bore proportioned for interengagement with said threaded distal end of said pin whereby rotation of said handle relative to the hammer head will press the end of the handle against the second named half of said ring to urge the ring halves together in clamping relation on the hammer head, said pin and said opening through said hammer.

head being of complementary tapered formwhereby the clamping action of said rings will tend to compress and squeeze the deformable material of said hammer head.

References (Zited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

